Deeming others to Hell



The Warmonger dance

The latest scheme from our Republican friends involves efforts to reconcile the budget and preserve defense spending cuts by 'deeming' even deeper cuts into programs that help the poor.
Although spending levels for the budget were set in the Budget Control Act passed last summer in the deal to raise the nation's debt limit, Republicans are pushing ahead with another plan that cuts more while trying to prevent the beginning of $600 billion in cuts over 10 years to the growth of the defense budget.

Saving the Holy Grail of all neo-cons and warmongers -- the sacred Military Industrial Complex.

They are doing this because the Super Committee, which was supposed to find $1.2 trillion in cuts on which everyone could agree, failed, leaving the slashing up to a pre-agreed sequestration plan that extracts half the savings from the military.

So instead, the House has embarked on a seldom-used reconciliation process. Its aim is to have at hand an alternative to the sequestration on the theory that the Senate will not want to allow the defense cuts either, and won't have its own plan.

In a memo sent to members Wednesday instructing them how to write their reconciliation bill, Republicans picked a number of targets, including extracting $80 billion from federal workers and $44 billion from health care. In all, it identifies $78 billion to cut in 2013, and details around $300 billion over 10 years - because the military money hole needs to be protected at any cost.

So thanks to the defenders of the Empire an average family of four will see a 11% reduction in food stamps this coming September and even more tighter enforcement of rules have been created to kick 3 million people off the program completely. Compassionate conservatism anyone?


The House passed the budget by a "deeming resolution" saying it was necessary due to Senate failure to pass a budget. In a statement on Monday House Republicans stated: "When the Senate refuses to act, the House must take steps to ensure that it can responsibly proceed with the appropriations and budget process," the statement said.

"This is accomplished through the use of budget enforcement language in a rule, commonly called a 'deemer' because it 'deems' the House budget levels in place until there's a joint agreement between the House and Senate."

In other words, the Republicans have once again found a way to force their will on the American people by 'deeming' their actions necessary . Despite the Democrat-controlled Senate's unwillingness to endorse these draconian measures House Republicans have found a way, not to pass them as law, but to put them into practice.

It's simple, they are trying to hurt the economy: Money taken out of pocket for higher student loans and reduction in assistance programs will result in lower consumer spending...Economic multiplier effect etc. and make the economy contract in the short-term to hurt the recovery and make Obama look bad for the election.

If obstruction isn't enough - simply 'deem' your actions legitimate to get your way.

It's ironic to consider cutting food stamps to bolster the military when so many military families are actually on food stamps. But to these sociopaths robbing Peter to pay for war is a worthy cause.

The narrative of the demise of the Soviet Union goes something like this: "They ruined their economy in a desperate effort to sustain their bloated military budget."

Looks like it only took 30 years for the world's other super-power to follow suit.

Feeling safer yet?

ickenittle